Silo sealing cover



June 2, 1959 w. DOMITROVIC .sno SEALING COVER Filed June 28, 1954 FIG. 1'

IN V EN TOR. 'W/LL IAN DOM/TROV/C SILO SEALING COVER William Domitrovic, Eightyfour, Pa.

Application June 28, 1954, Serial No. 439,546

2 Claims. (Cl. 201.4)

This invention relates to means for sealing ofi the contents of a silo to prevent access of ambient air to the silo contents.

Silos are usually circular in shape and of considerable height to insure the silage placed therein packing solidly thereby excluding air from within the packing material. When placed in the silo the fodder is usually cut into short lengths to provide for ready packing under its own weight and undergoes certain chemical changes which generate a certain amount of gas. The green fodder so placed in the silo will remain in a succulent state for long periods provided the ambient air is excluded from the top thereof. Where no effective means is provided for sealing off the top of the silo, spoilage occurs which extends to a considerable depth and requires the spoiled material to be removed and discarded before suitable feed can be obtained for the farm animals.

It is an obpect of the present invention to provide a silo sealing device which rests upon the contents of the silo and effectively seals the contents from the surrounding atmosphere.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of the character described which may be conveniently weighted so as to move downwardly with the newly packed silo contents thereby providing a more effective and efflcient seal.

These and other objects will be made apparent as the description proceeds. In the drawings forming part of this description:

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the sealing device;

Fig. 2 shows a cross section through the device along the lines II-II of Figure 1; and.

Fig. 3 is a conventional showing of a silo with the sealing device in place.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, reference character 1 refers to a central web of the device which is preferably of some flexible material such as rubber, rubber coated canvas or other suitable materials. Reference character 2 indicates a closed circular inflatable tube surrounding the web 1 and secured thereto by any suitable means. Reference character 3 indicates a valve which may be readily sealed off and through which water can be admitted to the interior of the tube 2. Reference character 4 indicates an air valve through which air may be admitted to the interior of the tube 2, inflating same to form an effective seal with the inner face of the walls of the silos. The outside diameter of the sealing device, prior to inflation, is made slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the silo to permit ready insertion thereof into the silo. The tube itself is made of relatively large diameter for the purpose of accommodating a volume of water providing suflicient weight to carry the inflated tube downwardly with the contents of the newly filled silo against the friction between the inflated wall of the tube and the wall of the silo. A flap valve 5 of any suitable type may be provided in web 1, permitting escape of air or other States atnt O ice gases which may be trapped beneath the sealing device when in place.

Silos are usually provided with some form of roofing structure to exclude the elements from contact with the contents. Such roof structure is provided with suitable openings 6 through which the silage is placed within the silo. After the silo has been filled with the green fodder material the flexible web of the sealing device permits folding it to a suitable size for insertion through the roof opening and upon the silo contents. Water may then be admitted through the water valve 3 so as to partially fill the tube 2 providing suflicient weight to force the sealing device into engagement with the contents of the silo. Thereafter air is admitted through air valve 4 to inflate the tube an amount sufiicient to provide an effective seal between the side walls of the tube and the silo walls. The

.'eight of the water content of the tube is sufficient to cause its movement downward in continuing engagement with the silo contents during any initial shrinkage thereof. As previously stated some gases may be formed as the contents undergoes some chemical change and these will pass upwardly through the silo contents into engagement with the web of the seal and vented through the valve 5.

Whenever it is desired to use the silo contents for fodder, air within the tube is released through valve 4 and thereafter the water within the tube withdrawn through valve 3 or discharged into the silo where it may be released through the usual drain valve 7 provided in the base of the silo. The sealing device may then be folded and removed through a suitable opening such as 6 in the silo.

The term fluid pressure as used in the claims, includes both air and water. Hence, the tube 2 of the device may be both weighted and expanded by filling with water under sufficient pressure to expand the tube for obtaining the desired seal with the silo walls.

The exact details of construction of my device herein shown and described are for purposes of illustration only and not limitation except as made necessary by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A flexible inflatable sealing device for placement within a silo upon the exposed upper surface of the contents of the silo for support thereby and sealing ofi surrounding atmosphere from said contents, comprising a continuous flexible and inflatable ring-like member of an initial outside diameter less than the inside diameter of the silo for mounting upon the silo contents, a flexible sheetlike member closing the inner opening of the ring-like member and permanently secured to the ring-like member in a manner permitting free peripheral exterior expansion thereof, and means on said ring-like member for admission and retention of fluid pressure therein causing expansion of said ring-like member into air tight engagement with the adjacent walls of the silo and weighting the member to follow the level of the silo contents.

2. The sealing device as defined in claim 1, wherein the flexible sheet like member is provided with pressure actuated valve means automatically venting of gases trapped beneath the sealing device sheet-like member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,014,264 Patrick Sept. 10, 1935 2,085,752 Horton et a1. July 6, 1937 2,538,875 Laird Jan. 23, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 102,806 Austria Mar. 25, 1926 1,018,834 France Oct. 22, 1952 

